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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. present — there
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. charge — a price
  6. present — a gift
  7. mate — a partner
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. band — a ring
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. present — the time now
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mate — a friend
  17. charge — in control
  18. cold — not warm
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mug — a cup
  23. charge — electricity
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com